Mission and Vision Statements Mission and Vision Statements Mission Statement North Central University is a Christ-centered Pentecostal school with a commitment to academic excellence that prepares students to fulfill biblical models of leadership and ministry throughout the world. (Ephesians 4:11-12) Vision Statement North Central University will be recognized as a globally influential university that prepares exemplary Pentecostal leaders and ministers. In order to accomplish this task, NCU is committed to the requirement of a minimum of 30 credits of Bible/Theology for all majors, including the 21 credit Bible Core. It also requires daily chapel attendance and other meaningful methods of spiritual formation. NCU is church-focused and there are practical ministry requirements which are fulfilled with service in the church and community. The University seeks to develop a robust Christianity based on a Christian worldview developed through a meaningful, integrated general education core program. It offers various majors which are designed to develop leaders who are functioning Pentecostals and who know how to interact evangelistically with their world. Most majors are geared toward church-oriented vocations. All majors are designed to be ministry-focused, training students to serve God in a variety of ways according to their calling and gifts. Program focus at North Central is particularly centered upon urban and international settings, utilizing the urban context of the campus as a laboratory for effective ministry and providing a full array of creative international learning opportunities. The Heritage Located in the heart of Minneapolis, North Central University is a coeducational, undergraduate, primarily residential college owned and operated by 11 Assemblies of God districts of the upper Midwest. Founded in 1930 as North Central Bible Institute, program offerings were expanded in 1955 to include a four-year degree. In 1957, the institution’s name was changed to North Central Bible College and in 1964, North Central was accredited by the American Association of Bible Colleges. Recognizing its commitment to the needs of its constituents, North Central continued expanding its offerings and was accredited in 1986 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2400 Chicago, IL 60602 Phone: 1.800.621.7440 Web: www.higherlearningcomission.org At the spring 1998 meeting of the Board of Regents, the college’s name was changed to North Central University. In keeping with the vital and growing character of the school, enrollment has more than tripled from 401 students in 1975 to a present enrollment of approximately 1,500 in the residence and distance education programs in 2004. The stability and strength of North Central has produced more than 24,000 alumni, and of its graduates, 75 percent are presently in ministry positions throughout the United States and around the world. The Means The Biblical Support As a Christian institution, North Central University approaches its purpose from the biblical foundation found in John 13:34-35. The purpose of the University is to produce Pentecostal leaders to serve God in the church and in the world. As a result of their training at North Central, students should, therefore, be able to: 1. Maintain a vital, stable and consistent relationship with God with openness to revival and ongoing spiritual growth and demonstration in the Pentecostal tradition. 2. Interact with members of the campus community and the church in such a way as to maintain supportive, caring, loving, forgiving and accountable relationships which are life-changing for all. 3. Demonstrate an informed, evangelistic and serving orientation to the peoples of the world, including those majority urban dwellers throughout the United States and the world. 4. Utilize their integrated Christian worldview and specially developed skills to provide leadership in the church and the world. The Curricular Support All students are expected to accomplish the above goals by completing both academic and personal development programs. Student development programming involves students in numerous real-life experiences through which they learn to apply skills and knowledge gained in the classroom. Academic programming consists of three major components: the General Education Core, the Biblical Studies Core and the major or vocational core. The four-year degree curriculum prepares students for ministry careers in the church, for graduate study and for other areas of life. The one or two years of foundational biblical and general education curriculum at the Certificate or Associate Degree level gives students a foundation for the future that may include additional career or vocational training. The University has clearly defined the ends sought for each of these curricular areas. It is clear as to its purposes and has been in a strongly creative revision process for all of its curriculum so it can be even more successful in accomplishing its desired ends. These end-sought statements written at the beginning of each curricular program can be found throughout the catalog. Curricular changes place NCU on the cutting edge of meaningful higher education designed to prepare students for the new millennium. Completion of the academic degree programs and the non-academic learning opportunities make it possible for the student: 1. To communicate clearly and effectively within the church and with a world which desperately needs to know the Savior. 2. To relate the present to the past through an understanding of the historical process. 3. To demonstrate expanded perceptions of life and refined aesthetic sensibilities. 4. To develop and maintain a practical wellness model for living. 5. To utilize a systematic approach to examine nature and solve quantitative problems. 6. To solve problems in a disciplined and imaginative way through analytical and critical thinking skills. 7. To observe and interpret human behavior within the richness of social and cultural diversity. 8. To acquire foundational knowledge of Bible content and history and develop a basic research methodology for biblical study. As a result, students should be able to build into their lifestyle and ministry the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will help them make a significant contribution to their generation. They should become flexible lifelong learners who are curious, adaptive, analytical, literate, morally sensitive, critically appreciative and theologically literate. North Central History The Early Days of North Central North Central University enrolled its first 26 students in classes beginning October 1, 1930, under the name of North Central Bible Institute. The Institute’s original home was in a newly erected Assemblies of God church, the Minneapolis Gospel Tabernacle, in downtown Minneapolis. Female students were placed in homes where they could work for their board and room, and male students were housed in rooms or apartments near the Institute. Ownership of the Institute was in the hands of the North Central District Council of the Assemblies of God which at that time included territory extending from the Great Lakes west to the Continental Divide in the northern tier of states. North Central Expands The Institute’s graduating classes from 1933 to 1936 increased steadily. In 1936, when over 200 students registered, it was evident that new quarters were needed. The following September, students and faculty relocated to NCU’s new home, the former Asbury Hospital at 910 Elliot Avenue. This five-story building, a city block in length, included adequate dormitory, office and classroom space to accommodate 500 students. In February 1955, the Minnesota District authorized the change to a four-year program, and the Institute graduated its first bachelor’s degree class of eight students in 1956. In April 1957, the parent district requested that the school name be changed to North Central Bible College. For the next 16 years, a five-story building providing housing for male students and the cafeteria was added to the campus, along with a library building. In 1973, the new F.J. Lindquist Chapel was dedicated, and in the spring of 1981, the Clark/Danielson College Life Center was constructed to the south of the chapel. This CLC building contains classrooms, administrative offices and a gymnasium. Also completed at this time were the skyways connecting the College Life Center to Carlson Hall and the chapel to Miller Hall (the original building at 910 Elliot Avenue). In the fall of 1969, North Central University gave birth to the North Central Deaf Program. Its vision and purpose was to provide a vehicle whereby Deaf men and women could be prepared to establish indigenous Deaf churches and ministries both at home and abroad. The program started as a three-year diploma program which grew into a four-year Bachelor of Arts program under the joint auspices of the Assemblies of God Division of Home Missions and the Carlstrom Deaf Studies (CDS) department of North Central University. CDS trained and enabled Deaf men and women in the knowledge and practices of ministering the Gospel through a variety of academic disciplines with an interdisciplinary emphasis until its closure in 2011. In December 1981, five apartment buildings located directly behind Miller Hall became part of the campus. In March 1988, the University purchased a building located behind the chapel. In 1989, NCU acquired a renovated storefront called the Del Kingsriter Centre for Intercultural Relations. This building houses the Carlstrom Deaf Studies, Intercultural Studies and Languages, English, and Psychology departments and classrooms. The college began purchasing the Elliot East Condominiums in 1993. Today it owns the majority of the 32 units, which are available for rent by students. In 1994, the college also purchased the American Legion building on South Tenth Street which is now used as classrooms, and the Trestman property on the southwest quadrant of Chicago Avenue and Fourteenth Street which is home to the University Bookstore and the Center for Youth and Leadership.